Athleticism.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, his body fully extended as if he were sliding head first into third base, delivers a blow to a fallen PRIDE opponent.

Power.
Randy Couture, 6 feet 2 and 220 pounds of rock-hard cement, drops the 6-foot 8-inch 265-pound Tim Sylvia with a punch, and goes on to win the UFC heavyweight title.

Skill.
Royce Gracie, face contorted with desire, cranks on an opponent's arm and secures yet another submission.

Mental tenacity.

During the pre-fight instructions, Frank Trigg gets in Matt Hughes' face. Hughes, later sarcastically declaring that he thought Trigg was going to kiss him, pushes Trigg halfway across the Octagon.

And then — when it appeared Trigg was on the verge of knocking the muscular welterweight off — Hughes — reeling from a low blow — escaped, scrambled to his feet, picked Trigg up, carried him across what seemed like half the continental United States, slammed him to the canvas and choked him out.

Great fighters, great athletes, great moments.

GREATNESS SINCE 1993
In 16 short years, the sport of MMA has accrued a bundle of moments like this. These are but a few.

To comprehend the magnitude of what has transpired since 1993, take a second to just think of the greatness we've seen from fighters with "one" name ... from Fedor to Sakuraba to Gomi to Bas to Tito to Royce to Chuck.

Or the warriors who go by just their initials ... BJ and GSP.

Or those we know by their nicknames ... "Big Nog," "The Ax Murderer" and "The Dragon."

We could talk all day long. Or debate.

Who really is the greatest?

DEVOTED TO WARRIORS
Which is the point of Elite Fighter: The 50 Greatest Fighters In MMA History.

We decided to tackle the issue head on. Who are the greatest 50 fighters in the history of MMA?

To make that determination, we formed a committee, compared lists and sorted things out. This issue is the result of that endeavor.

If you're new to the sport, this is your chance to get familiar with some of MMA's biggest names and some of their accomplishments. If you're regular, the list will give you a chance to agree, disagree or debate, because, as you know, any list such as this is very subjective.

But, one thing is certain.

In 16 years, MMA has produced great fighters, showcased great athletes and presented great moments. This issue is devoted to the warriors who have inspired us, awed us and entertained us.

Look for it on your newsstands now.
Also available at The Beckett Store

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..., Incredible, Diego Sanchez and Tim Sylvia make the

January 14, 2010     

Incredible, Diego Sanchez and Tim Sylvia make the top fifty and Wandi Silva doesn't. How do u explain that ##$#@# reasoning. Please explain. Silva destroys Sakuraba and Jackson in Pride and Diego gets the nod. I don't get it.
amkhector | 76.91.110.242 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

..., I just bought the mag and like everyone is saying t

December 29, 2009     

I just bought the mag and like everyone is saying the fact that wand did not make the list is so outrageous I almost want my money back. He is my favorite fighter of all time, but looking at this an unbiased as possible he should be in the top 15 without a doubt and looking at his dominance in pride I think top ten is even more appropriate. The top 4 are hard to argue with but for a career I think you have to give Fedor the nod as number 1. He basicly has no blemish on his record and his "loss" was 10 years ago. Anderson may have been more dominant over the last four years but losses to Chonan and Takase put him slightly behind fedor who has really never lost. Another fighter defintely deserving to make the list and was left out was lil Nog. Come on he has wins over Overeem, Dan Henderson,Matus..., Banta cain,Nakamura, and sakaraba. Shogun at 31 is was to low he dominated Pride and had one bad fight against Forrest and everyone forgets what a dynamic fighter he is. Ken Shamrock over Shogun is a joke. I know he's a pioneer but who did he really beat. I love Bas but 13 is too high. Finally I don't care how bad Cro Cop did in UFC the fact that Tim Slyvia is 14 places higher then him makes me sick. Tm freggin Slyvia the same guy who got knocked out by an old, fat, Ray Mercer in 3 seconds please.

james178 | 98.207.21.105 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

..., Like many sports, arts, foods, movies, etc, etc, MM

December 13, 2009     

Like many sports, arts, foods, movies, etc, etc, MMA is subjective. No two ppl could ever agree on the same order for the top 50 MMA fighters of all time - impossible. If you look at the panel that decided the order, you can't question their knowledge and/or experience with MMA. While I agree that Wanderlei should be on the list, I can only assume that it was an oversight that his name doesn't appear. No doubt, the panelists know how dominating of an MMA fighter Silva was in his prime. I'm not one of the panelists, but I think that we have to cut them some slack. After all, they're out there doing it, while we're hearing bitching, or defending them. As the the old adage states, "Those who can - do. Those who can't - criticize."

todd0329 | 99.254.56.56 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

..., You've got to be kidding me. Somebody sent me your

December 08, 2009     

You've got to be kidding me. Somebody sent me your list of Top 50 Greatest MMA fighters, and I almost fell over. Is this some kind of joke? Did you clowns just start watching MMA 2 years ago? Worst MMA list I've ever laid eyes on. I've been rabid MMA since 1993, so you need not question my knowledge. Just let me point out some of the worst parts of your list, and pay attention. Your magazine looks clownshoes to those who actually know MMA. First of all, where the hell is Wanderlei Silva? Unless the list somehow got messed up by my friend, there's no excuse. Are you guys drunk over there? No Wandy? Seriously? Epic fail. Shut er down lads, you're out of your element. You've got Lyoto Machida at 7, and Bas Rutten at 13. LOL. WHAT? You've got Cro Cop at 33, and Kid Yamamoto at 27. LOL. WHAT? You've got Tim Sylvia at 19. LOL. WHAT? You've got Machida in the Top 10. WHAT? You guys need some serious help over there, cause although the majority of names are somewhat correct, the order is so laughable, I can't believe what I'm seeing. Nice try, noobs. Quit trying to pawn off ludicrous opinion in such elevated status to the general public. Get real.

Exodus9mm | 68.149.171.211 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1